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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24677137">let's meet again someday, somewhen</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmoscrow/pseuds/cosmoscrow'>cosmoscrow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Quest XI</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dragon Quest XI Act II Spoilers, Emotional, Found Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Named Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Platonic Love, Selectively Mute Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), anyway Golden Duo has been upgraded to Golden Trio, how are their friendships not tags, me holding eleven erik &amp; serena: i just think they're neat!, so much love guys im in shambles, theres a lot of feelings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:40:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,799</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24677137</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmoscrow/pseuds/cosmoscrow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>She's taller. Of course she is. With the same build like Serena, same face, same curve in her nose, same eye shape. She's familiar and somehow not at all.</p>
<p>He misses her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A somewhat sequel.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hero | Luminary &amp; Erik | Camus &amp; Serena | Sena, Hero | Luminary &amp; Veronica</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>let's meet again someday, somewhen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>will i ever not be emotional over this group of colourful ragtags? you're right. never. i shall always cry over them. Veronica's absence is so damn palpable i can barely play, i'm an absolute weenie.</p>
<p>so cry with me dammit, i need someone to cry with!! i have too many fic and art ideas!! i want to leave this ride!!</p>
<p>(no i dont)</p>
<p>a sequel-ish piece to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24370831">let's meet again on the branches</a> but not really.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kuron knows he’s dreaming, when he opens his eyes and finds himself upon the branches of Yggdrasil.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He isn’t sure where as he looks down and sees nothing but more leaves, more branches, more <em>life</em>. There is a faint wind, gently caressing his cheek and playfully tugging at his hair. He doesn’t know where it’s coming from. Somehow, he doesn’t care.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He’s barefoot, he notices, walking along the branches. Somewhere, there is faint sunlight filtering through the endless green. Sometimes, he hears bells, tinkling softly. Other times, it’s children’s laughter, squeals and giggles along with the sound of bare feet racing over wood. But in all of them, he can hear humming. Vaguely familiar, a melody he heard not too long ago, beneath rainy skies of grey and the tears of a fading smile.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">(<em>“I think I’m going to cry…”</em>)</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kuron imagines a harp, the soothing pluck of strings, singing a song. He walks along the branches, evergreen leaves brushing against his face – they whisper, soft and quiet. They tell tales of life, of adventure, of a new beginning, and they laugh and cry and hum. They are so full of love, Kuron can’t help but let the few tears fall at these heartfelt stories of people, born, unborn, alive, dead. They whisper their tales, weave them together with threads of wonder and affection, creating this colourful and bright mosaic of a life well-lived and well-loved, despite tears, despite hardships. They say thank you as they laugh, so grateful to have been born. Kuron wonders if this is the true nature of Yggdrasil.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Glowing butterflies greet him. He can hear the flutter of their wings, like drops of rain, or a baby’s first laugh, or the wind in summer over a field of wildflowers. They part around him, letting him stride right through to his destination, unknown even to him. He hears the humming, and he follows through the glitter of butterflies. At the base of the branch he stops and sits, back leaning against the massive trunk. The moss and array of vines is soft underneath him and he tilts his head back to look up. Again, more leaves, more branches, more <em>life</em>. Where does it start, where does it end? Eternity, Kuron thinks, sure is long.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The humming continues, next to him, warm and unhurried. He turns to look, really look, because he isn’t sure when he’ll ever see her again. She’s taller, of course she is. The same build like Serena, the same face, the same curve in her nose, the same eye shape. She’s beautiful, just like Serena – different and all the same, the sun to the moon, and heaven and earth. Always contrasting, yet the sides of the same coin. She looks so much like Serena and somehow, not at all. He feels a tear running down his cheek.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If I were stronger,” he whispers, voice rough, “maybe you’d be still here. With us.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Veronica stops humming, letting the final note linger between the two of them. “Maybe,” she says, her fringe swaying in the wind. She smiles then, looking at him with familiar, unfamiliar lavender eyes. “But I’d do it again anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Their hands meet in the middle, soft and warm. Their fingers intertwine, squeezing, holding, a comfort for one, a tether for the other. Kuron keeps his gaze on her – he doesn’t want to look away. He never wants to look away from someone beloved ever again. More tears fall and Veronica sighs in sympathy. She wipes the watery pearls away with her other hand.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Again. And again. And again,” she murmurs, gently pushing his soft brown hair behind his left ear. Her eyes glitter with fondness at the familiar sight of the golden earring. “I’ll do it all over again, so I know, that you are safe.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because I’m the Luminary?” Kuron asks, trying not to feel hurt. His friend scoffs, her gentle fingers now not so gently flicking his forehead.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Duh! But most of all because you’re Kuron,” she chides, her lips quirking up into that nifty little smirk of hers. He hasn’t seen it in so long. “You’re my friend. I will always want to see my friends safe.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His eyes burn. “Me too. I’m sorry– I’m sorry I–” His voice cracks. It always did, so unused to speaking these days. He rubs his eyes with his sleeve, lips wobbling.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I miss you. We miss you.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He squeezes her hand. She squeezes right back.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t be sorry,” Veronica’s voice is steadfast, confident. He doesn’t remember a time where it sounded like anything but. “I’ll never be sorry for keeping you safe – it’s my duty. But,” she looks off into the rustling leaves above, “I do regret not being able to say good-bye properly.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kuron sniffs noisily. “You did. We found you. In Arboria.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m glad,” she smiles, watching the light play with the leaves. “I know you can do it. All of you. You have each other’s backs, nobody will be able to beat that!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">(“<em>Let’s hit the road, partner.</em>”)</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His own gaze drifts off too into the leaves above, watching light and shadow play. A butterfly flutters past them – its wings sound like tinkling bells. Veronica squeezes his hand.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Promise me that you’ll trust her.” They don’t look at each other. The leaves whisper around them and their hands feel warm. “Promise me that you’ll put your faith in her. If anyone can lead you to victory, it’s her.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And you,” he says softly. “You and her.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kuron squeezes her hand.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She’ll always have my faith.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He hears her smile, like the flutter of butterfly wings. He can feel the love, her love. It’s warm and all encompassing, like a campfire radiating heat. It’s passionate and unyielding, like wildfire, like her fire. Veronica’s love feels like magic, unbridled, stubborn, loud – an orchestra of fireworks and sparks and joyful laughter. A weapon, as much as it is a shield, so powerful, ingrained into his skin and it feels like lightning and thunder in his veins.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She faces him again. “And promise to never apologise for this!” Her little grin is almost challenging. “Don’t waste my love with unnecessary sorrow. No more tears, remember?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kuron’s eyes widen and he can’t help the chuckle that falls from his tongue. So brash and forward, but when has she ever been anything but. His heart breaks – it always will. But its value will never wane, not with the amount of happiness and love he keeps inside. He thinks, Veronica is the same.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Brokenhearted, but strong. Maybe she just had to leave early, but now Kuron knows, that they’ll meet again. Someday, maybe. Somewhen, who knows. He looks forward to it, meeting her again, and wonders what it will be like. Kuron smiles, a small happiness and gifts it to Veronica.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you,”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She knocks their shoulders together. “That’s better,” she says impishly. “And tell the others I miss them too. Even Mr.Sticky Fingers and his obnoxious hair–” Kuron sorts – “maybe threaten Sir Stick-in-the-Mud a little for me.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No threats,”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Boo</em>,”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They laugh and Kuron misses this already. So he doesn’t let go and stays there, sitting next to Veronica, up high on the branches of Yggdrasil. Maybe, they’ll meet again up here on these very branches. She’ll wait, he knows that. If he meets her up here again, he’ll wait with her. They’ll wait together, until all of them meet again. It’s a comforting thought, that even if they fall divided, they’ll be together again somewhere, somewhen else. Kuron wonders about the future.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Veronica?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A voice like spring, a warm breeze, melodious like the pluck of a harp. Next to him, Veronica keeps smiling and turns to him. Her other hand comes up to thumb at the little scar on the top left side of his upper lip.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Take care. I know you will, but it never hurts to say it again,” she grins, bright and happy. “There is so much love in you, do you know that?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kuron smiles. How can he not? She’s like the sun; burning, determined and so, so bright. Her eyes glitter with everything and nothing. Veronica is happy.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you, Kuron, for loving me.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He’ll never stop loving her. Just as he’ll never stop loving everyone else, so close and precious to his heart. He’ll never stop loving.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Veronica?</em>”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He opens his eyes and the leaves are gone. Instead, he stares at the ceiling of the tent.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A lone pearl of a tear slips from the corner of his eye – he misses her already. Blinking slowly, he turns his head to his left, finding Erik asleep on his belly. His left arm lies angled between them, as if he had been searching for Kuron. They usually slept back to back, starting as protection, now simply comfort. He watches him for a while, one of the rare, are times he was awake before his best friend. Kuron is happy to find Erik relaxed, breathing softly, <em>safe</em>.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Then, he hears gentle foot steps on the grass outside. There’s a rustle at the front, and dawn’s first light seeps through the gap, when the tent flap was pulled aside. Lavender eyes find him and Serena quietly crawls into the tent the duo shares. Her eyes are shiny, brimming with unshed tears, but she is smiling.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She’s happy,” Serena whispers, blinking furiously against the water in her eyes. “She’s happy and safe.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kuron smiles, breath shaky as he reaches for her hand. They meet in the middle, soft and warm. Their fingers intertwine, squeezing, holding, a comfort for one, a tether for the other.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I miss her,” he murmurs quietly and Serena nods, bright-eyed.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’ll meet again,” she tells him just as quiet. Her hand squeezes his. And he squeezes right back. He feels her love, powerful as Veronica’s yet so different in nature. Like a river over stone, like wind in your hair, like picking flowers and chasing butterflies. Serena’s love feels like moonlight and gazing at stars, endless, vast and eternal.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah,” he breathes, shifting a little when she joins him on the ground, lying down between him and Erik. Instantly, he offers his blanket and he hears Erik shift. Sure enough, he lifts himself onto his elbows, drowsy face grumpy. It makes the other two smile. “We’ll all meet again.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Erik blinks and exhales softly. He falls back onto his pillow, arm awkwardly angling back to retrieve his blanket to share it with Serena. She and Kuron wiggle closer to the rogue – it’s warm between them all. Comforting and affectionate. Erik sighs, his hand searching Serena’s.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…is she happy?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kuron squeezes Serena’s hand and she squeezes Erik’s hand.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes,”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They lie together, hand in hand. Kuron feels like, there is on more reaching for them.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m glad,”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="https://cherrytraveller.tumblr.com">I make. Art.</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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